Fall is a time of welcoming Jesus with gratitude and preparation

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

November is a wonderful month, despite the arrival of winter, of which I am not a huge fan. The colder weather makes my morning walks tougher, especially when the winds pick up or snow comes. Sometimes I am forced to use the treadmill instead! I enjoy being outside and in our neighborhoods as the day’s activities start, but the treadmill gets me moving, too and I can still pray the Rosary and organize my day during that time. 

The thing I love about November is that it is a time of remembering the interconnectedness of our lives. We begin the month with solemnity and a holy day by remembering all the saints and our beloved dead whom we hope are joined with the saints in heaven. They give us encouragement by the example of their lives, and their legacy to live in imitation of Jesus, as they did. I have been privileged to know so many good and holy men and women – relatives, friends, brother clergy and religious, co-workers and parishioners – who have blessed my life and I now count on these friends in heaven to help us! 

While we pray for our dead all throughout November, All Souls Day on Nov. 2 is a chance to specially pray that all our deceased brothers and sisters be admitted fully into God’s presence. I remember in elementary school we were taught to pray especially for those who have been forgotten and have no one to pray for them.   

I remember reading one of the mystic saints who explained that the souls in purgatory are not ready to be fully in God’s presence. It is their desire to enter fully into that presence and their not being able to do so yet is what causes their suffering. In a sense, the warm love of God, in a distance, melts away anything from their lives that prevents them from being admitted fully. The mystic explained that it was like a wax covering over the soul which the bright flame of God’s love melts away, and allows the soul to come closer to God. So, purgatory actually isn’t a bad place, as the souls are exposed to God’s love, but there is a yearning for more, a yearning to be admitted fully into heaven and before God, as a saint.  

As I pray for our dead, I often ask for their help with specific intentions.  At every viewing I attend, I always ask the deceased to help reveal God and His love to me more fully, so I can share Him more effectively with others.   

One of my favorite holidays in November is Thanksgiving as it has always been a wonderful time for being with family. This special holiday of gratitude reminds us to count our blessings, both individually and as a country.  It is less commercial than other holidays in many ways and focuses us on God, country, family, a nice meal and of course, a beautiful Mass thanking God for our many blessings. There are always blessings, even when things might not seem to be going as we hoped or plan, we just have to remember them!  

Generally, at the end of November, Advent starts.  But, beware, this year it doesn’t start until Dec. 3, as the fourth week of Advent is only one day this year since Christmas is on a Monday. So, Advent will fly by!  In a sense, Advent is a bit of a strange season, as it is a penitential season of preparation, hence the purple vestments for the season for our liturgies. Yes, Advent is a time of “waiting,” in imitation of our ancestors who waited for the Messiah and also of our waiting for the Lord’s second coming at the end of time. But we shouldn’t miss Jesus coming to us already, in the present, as He comes to us so often throughout our daily lives.  

Yes, Jesus comes to us in the Sacraments, through the Scriptures, in our prayers and through the acts of charity we practice throughout the day. Indeed, the coming of the precious gift of our Savior at Christmas is probably best prepared for by us through our meeting Him now, today, in the sacraments and our prayer and His coming to us through those in need, including the poor, the needy, the sick, the lonely, and those in prison.  Being attentive to these present comings to us by Jesus is probably our best preparation for his comings at His Birth and Second Coming. So may this Advent be a time where we prepare well, by our reaching out to Him in the present through the Eucharist and Confession and reaching out to Him as He comes to us as our neighbor in need. 

Thank you for all you do; it is a blessing for our local Church. I pray that Thanksgiving is a blessed time for you and your family and loved ones, and that we prepare ourselves well, by encountering Jesus often in the present, as we wait. Come Lord Jesus!  Know of my love, prayers and gratitude for you, and please remember to pray for me, too! 

Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA
Bishop of Metuchen